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Lexus boots up 2014 IS configurator

Throw away those scraps of paper and pull yourself up to a keyboard, as Lexus has launched the online configurator for its all-new 2014 IS sedan. The base price for the entry-level IS 250 RWD is $36,845 (all listed prices include the $895 delivery fee), delivering a 2.5-liter V6 rated at 204 horsepower that provides enough thrust for a 0-60 sprint in 7.7 seconds. The range-topping IS 350 AWD starts at $42,595, packed with a 3.5-liter V6 rated at 306 horsepower that will deliver 60 mph in just 5.7 seconds.
After choosing an engine and driveline, the configurator will offer eight exterior colors and five interior upholstery shades (some combinations, such as selecting Obsidian over Rioja Red NuLuxe leather, require upgrades such as the F Sport package). Consumers are then offered four different bundled option packages as enhancements. The least expensive is Navigation ($4,670), followed by the aforementioned F Sport ($5,800) and a choice between two luxury packages ($7,195) with light or dark wood trim.
Last to come are the accessories and dealer-installed options such as remote engine start, glass-break sensor, wheel locks and a cargo net. Go crazy with your choices, as we did, and the price will exceed $50,000. Head over to the Lexus IS configurator, and check it out for yourself.

Lexus might introduce an all-electric successor to the CT hatchback

Despite sales of the Lexus CT hybrid hatchback ending last year in the U.S., Lexus isn't planning to abandon the hatchback segment in favor of the new compact crossover, the UX. The CT remains on sale in some countries, and Lexus's European boss is adamant the brand has to keep offering hatchbacks. Talking to the British AutoExpress, Lexus's Pascal Ruch says the CT has an important purpose, which is introducing new customers to the Lexus brand. Ruch told AutoExpress that the CT has a high "conquest ratio" of 70-75 percent, and that a CT customer is different from the envisioned UX customer. "I believe that all the segments we are now in, it's important to stay there," added Ruch. AutoExpress says the CT could be replaced in 2020 with a model that would be offered both as a hybrid and as all-electric, built on Toyota's new TNGA global platform. The hybrid is likely to be the 177-horsepower 2.0-liter unit seen in the new European Auris, which corresponds to the new U.S. market Corolla Hatchback. The CT's successor could be sold as both a conventional hatchback and a more crossover-like version, much like the new Ford Focus and its Active trim level; Ruch says Lexus is thinking through a new approach for the CT. The CT was introduced way back in 2011, selling some 15,000-17,000 examples per year in the U.S. until its first really weak year, 2016, which saw less than 9,000 cars sold. The following year, which proved to be its last model year in the United States, sales dropped under 4,700. In Europe, it's different for Lexus: The brand overall sells only some 45,000 cars per year, and the CT's steady sales of more than 8,000 cars per year are quite important for it. Related Video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.

Finally, Lexus has a sick-looking crossover concept

So, Lexus isn't playing it safe. The Japanese luxury brand revealed a concept called the UX that will be revealed at the Paris Motor Show, and to say it's eye-catching is an understatement. It looks like one of those new-fangled, coupe-styled SUVs, along the lines of the BMW X6, though Lexus isn't explaining exactly what the UX is. It nebulously says the concept is meant to appeal to a "progressive, urban audience living in a connected environment." Sounds like an X6-, or perhaps an X4-fighter, to us. Oh, and probably with Wi-Fi. As you can see, the UX has massively flared fenders (which add an off-road vibe), a raked roofline and huge wheels. Pretty concepty, in other words. Like the NX SUV, which debuted as a concept then went into production largely unchanged, the UX has a lot of angles and curves. Like the NX, it will probably be divisive at first but a strong entry in the crossover segment if it makes it to production (we think it will). Lexus only released this rear three-quarters shot, so we'll have to wait to see what the front looks like. We'd expect Lexus' spindle grille and some snazzy LED lights. Inside, the UX "showcases imaginative technologies for an immersive driver experience, while the interior marries traditional craftsmanship with high-tech manufacturing techniques," Lexus says. Translation: It will be really digital inside with some wood, carbon-fiber, or fancy plastic trim. It debuts Sept. 29 in Paris. Related Video: Design/Style Paris Motor Show Lexus Crossover SUV 2016 paris motor show lexus ux